Mah-Jong - British Rules - The Game - Playing the Game Chows A chow does not score, so it is only useful in that it may allow a player to call “Mah-Jong”. Only one chow is allowed in a hand and it’s not allowed when there are only 3 players. There are a number of special hands which, because they are unusual, score 500 or 1,000 points. 1,000 points is the maximum that can be scored in any one hand so, not surprisingly, a lot of luck is required to go out with such a hand. Some of these special hands do not conform to the 4 sets and a pair described above but, nevertheless, allow you to declare Mah-Jong. Collecting such hands is risky because, if you are not successful, you could end up with a hand which is worth no points. Pung - Mahjong Wiki (麻将维基) Mahjong Wiki (麻将维基) From Mahjong Wiki, the mahjong encyclopedia Pung A pung (declared as pung, peng, pon) is a set of three identical tiles.

These are pungs: … These are pungs Developing a Pung A pung that is composed of tiles from your hand (drawn from the wall or originally dealt) is a called concealed pung. If you have a concealed pung in your hand, you have no obligation to announce/reveal it. A pung that is composed of tiles from your hand and a recent discard is called a melded pung. If you want to use the most recently discarded tile in a pung, you must already have two concealed tiles in your hand that match the discard. You must: Declare “pung”. Take the discard. (Do not place the discard in your hand). Lay down the three tiles of the pung face-up as a set in front of your hand. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right. Note that some players might get their turns skipped. Example Two concealed identical tiles + discarded matching tile = melded pung Order of Claims If players claim the same discard, a pung or kong supersedes a chow. However, a claim of mahjong trumps all other claims.

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A minimum of four Hands make up a Round, four Rounds make up a Game. This is because each Wind must be Wind of the Round once and each player must have four turns playing as East Wind. The minimum number of Hands that make up a Game is therefore sixteen. There can however be more Hands in a Round if the East Wind player continues to win! Each player's Hand always consists of thirteen tiles, and when it is the turn of the player they are dealt a fourteenth tile. The player can choose to keep the tile that has just been dealt or can immediately discard the tile. In this manner players always retain the correct number of tiles in their Hand. The object of the Game is to make a complete Hand of fourteen tiles, this is called going Mah Jongg. The Hand that is needed to go Mah Jongg must consist of either: Four combinations of three (Chow or Pung) or four (Kong) tiles and a pair of identical tiles. As shown in the example below: or: One of the Special Hands . Immediately after a player completes a Hand, they call out "Mah Jongg"! The players now show their Hands in order to calculate and settle the scores . The Game then continues to the next Hand.

Urban Dictionary: Mahjong Mahjong It originated in China way back when. And is currently played all over the world. There is several ways to play Mahjong, There's: American style, Hong Kong, and Chinese Official. Hong Kong is the pimpest of the three, and it's layed out like this -- Four people build four walls; two tiles high, 18 tiles accross. Then everyone roles to determine what wind they are. (East wind, South wind, West wind, and North wind.) When that is all taken care of, you get thirteen tiles (Unless you're east wind, than you get fourteen) If you are delt a season (or flower, as some people call them) you put it up and get a new tile from the wall. The names of the tiles are - Balls, Characters, Sticks, Winds, and Dragons. When everyone has their tiles East wind discards, if you have two of the tiles that East wind discarded you'd say, "pung" (Example: East wind discards a four balls, and West wind has 2 four balls in his/her hand, West says 'pung' and picks up East wind's discard and lays it out for everyone to see.

{If you have three of a tile in your hand and someone discards another one, you say 'kong', put up your four tiles for everyone to see, and pick up a tile from the kong wall})or if south wind had a two tiles that would, with East wind's discard, make a three number sequence they could say "chow" (Example: East discards a two characters tile and South has a one character, and a three characters. South says 'Chow' and picks up East's discard and lays their chow out for everyone to see. Only the person that goes after you can Chow your tile, {I.E. only south can chow from east, only west can chow from south, only north can chow from west, only east can chow from north. you cannot chow a wind/dragon.}) if nobody has a tile that could make a pung.kong/or chow. The game continues in this pattern; someone discards, and their tile either gets kong'd, chow'd, or pung'd, until someone has four sets of three and a pair of tiles. Then that person says, 'Mahong' and they win.

You play four rounds, as to let each person be East wind. And yeah.. There is a loooot more, but that is just the basis of the game. Sorry for any typos/not being able to understand any of it. South wind - "Three won" (characters) East wind - "Mahong!!" Mah Jong Having originated in China, Mah Jong is a complex game similar to poker, where the objective is to draw matches or patterns in the tiles in one's hand. Of the four players, the one with most matches or patterns (called "Melds") at the end of the game wins. Common variants also include bonus tiles and wild tiles, which add to the overall unpredictability of the game. Since each turn includes several decisions which affect the chances of winning, Mah Jong requires skills in strategy and calculation, in addition to sheer luck. Contrary to popular belief, the form of Mah Jong solitaire, where tiles are matched to form pairs, is a separate game entirely, and has roots in America, where it began as a casino arcade game. It is rarely played with a real Mah Jong set, and is rarely seen anywhere other than arcade and computer games. There are underground mah jong gambling dens spread all over Chinatown.

The employees at the Chinese restaurant often played a few rounds of mah jong after work, wasting away the money they had earned that day. Mah-Jong - British Rules - The Game - Playing the Game - Other Rules ﻿ Flower and Season Tiles If you pick up a flower or season tile from the wall you should reveal it immediately and pick another tile from the kong box. Converting a Pung to a Kong An exposed (i.e. declared) pung can be converted into an exposed kong, but only by using a tile taken from the wall. The player must then take another tile from the kong box. Robbing the Kong Where a player takes a tile from the wall and makes a kong from an exposed pung, another player can Rob the kong in order to go Mah-Jong. The only sets he can thereby make, however, is a chow or a Special Hand. In the case of the chow, it can be claimed even when the player is not immediately to the right of the discarder. Robbing the Kong for a chow gives the player a double, but having a chow in the hand also causes him to forfeit one. So the double is immediately lost.

Note that an already exposed kong cannot be robbed. One for Mah-Jong When a player only requires one more tile to finish he must declare One for Mah-Jong. This alerts the other players to be more careful with their discards. The player in question is said to be calling or fishing. If you make a concealed kong by picking up the fourth tile from the wall then you should lay the 4 tiles in front of you and pick up a new tile from the kong box. A concealed kong Mah Jongg - Worldwide Web Site - Rules - Berrie Bloem's Mah Jongg - The REAL Game!(TM) Berrie Bloem's Mah Jongg - The REAL Game!(TM) Rules The direction in which the Game advances is always counter clockwise. Flower and Season tiles are never discarded, but always immediately Exposed above a player's stake and the player is dealt a Loose Tile as a replacement. The tiles in the Kong Box including the Loose Tiles are only used as replacement tiles for Flowers, Seasons and Kongs. Otherwise they form no part of the Game. A Chow is always three consecutive tiles of the same suit, a Pung is always three identical tiles and a Kong is always four identical tiles.

Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, providing the tile is not a Flower or Season and the tile does not enable the player to complete a Kong, then the player does not have to show this tile to the other players. Instead the player places the tile on his or her stake and discards one of the tiles he or she has on their stake, a player can discard a tile that they have just picked up should they wish to do so. Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, and this tile is a Flower or Season, then the player places the tile above his or her stake for all other players to see and is then dealt the next Loose Tile. If the same event happens again then the procedure is repeated until the player does not draw a Flower or Season tile. Rule 5 is then applied. Whenever a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile, or uses a discarded tile to make a Chow, Pung or Kong, then the player has to discard one tile from his or her stake. An Original Hand can only be declared by East Wind. A Standing Hand can be declared by all players.

Whenever a player claims a tile discarded by any of the other players for a Chow, a Pung or a Kong, the player must show to the other players the combination of tiles he or she made using the discarded tile. That is, the player must place these tiles above their stake so they are Exposed for all other players to see. The combination that the player has achieved will be an Exposed Chow, Pung or Kong. If the discarded tile is picked up and used to make an Exposed Kong, then the player will need a replacement tile and accordingly is dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. The player then discards one tile from his or her stake and the Game continues from this player, missing out the regular turns of players if necessary. Whenever a player claims a tile discarded by any of the other players to complete a pair of identical tiles AND to go Mah Jongg at the same time, the player can keep the pair of identical tiles on his or her stake. A player cannot pick up a tile discarded by any of the other players to complete a pair of identical tiles and NOT go Mah Jongg at the same time.

When two or more players claim a discarded tile to make a similar combination of tiles (for example, an Exposed Chow) and no other player claims the discarded tile for a more valuable combination (for example, Mah Jongg), then the player positioned nearest in the playing direction to the player who discarded this tile, will get the tile. See Precedences for further information. A player can't change or take back any of the combinations already Exposed on the table. There is one exception, see rule 17 . A player can't use a tile discarded by any of the other players to add to any of the combinations already Exposed on the table. A player can only make a Chow in the following situations: Exposed Chows When the player to the immediate left of a player discards a tile the player can pick this tile up to make a Chow - that is, to make a combination of three consecutive tiles of the same suit. A player cannot make a Chow by picking up a tile that has been discarded by any other player than the player that is to the immediate left of a player. The only exception to this rule is explained in the next point.

If a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make a Chow AND to go Mah Jongg at the same time then a player can pick up a tile that has been discarded by any player. If a player is not allowed to pick up the discarded tile under these circumstances then see Precedences for further information. Note In cases where a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make an Exposed Chow and one of the other players wishes to use the same discarded tile to make a more valuable combination (for example, a Pung) then the other player will get the tile. See Precedences for further information. Concealed Chows A Concealed Chow is a Chow that a player may keep on their stake. This is because it is made from tiles that the player has been dealt and therefore does not have to be shown to the other players. A player can claim a Pung in the following situations: Exposed Pungs By claiming a tile that has been discarded by any player to complete a combination of three identical tiles.

Note In cases where a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make an Exposed Pung and one of the other players wishes to use the same discarded tile to make a more valuable combination (for example, Mah Jongg) then the other player will get the tile. See Precedences for further information. Concealed Pungs A Concealed Pung is a Pung that a player may keep on their stake. This is because it is made from tiles the player has been dealt and therefore does not have to be shown to the other players. A player can claim a Kong in the following situations: Exposed Kongs By picking up a tile that has been discarded by any player to complete a combination of four identical tiles. The Kong must be placed above the player's stake (Exposed) and one of the tiles at the end of the Kong must be placed face downwards to indicate that it is an Exposed Kong. The player must now be dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. If a player has already made an Exposed Pung then the player can turn the Exposed Pung into an Exposed Kong if the player is dealt a tile (from either the Wall or a Loose Tile) that matches the tiles in the Exposed Pung.

In such cases the tile is added to the end of the Exposed Pung and placed face downwards to indicated that it is now an Exposed Kong. The player must now be dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. This is the only exception to rule 13. If, however, one of the other players can use this tile to go Mah Jongg, then they get this tile and snatch the Kong from the player. Note In cases where a player wishes to pick up a discarded tile to make an Exposed Kong and one of the other players wishes to use the same discarded tile to make a more valuable combination (for example to go Mah Jongg) then the other player will get the tile. See Precedences for further information. Concealed Kongs If a player already has a Concealed Pung on their stake and they are dealt a tile (from either the Wall or the Kong Box) that can turn this Concealed Pung into a Concealed Kong, then the player can place the completed Kong above their stake and the tiles at the ends of the Kong are turned face downwards to indicate that this is a Concealed Kong.

A player can choose to wait with showing a Concealed Kong to everybody else, if he or she wishes to do so. This player can at a later stage during the Hand and only when it's his or her turn, decide to put the Kong on the table. The player must now be dealt the next Loose Tile that is available. A player can claim a Mah Jongg in the following situations: If a player is dealt a tile from the Wall or a Loose Tile and this tile is the tile that a player requires to complete their Hand and go Mah Jongg. By picking up a tile that has been discarded by any player to complete their Hand and go Mah Jongg. In cases where one or more players wish to use a tile that has been discarded to go Mah Jongg then whichever player can make the highest valuable combination of Mah Jongg will be given the tile. For further information see Precedences . A completed Mah Jongg consists of: Four combinations of three ( Chow or Pung ) or four ( Kong ) tiles plus a pair of identical tiles. Mahjong Wiki (麻将维基) Draw Equipment To play mahjong all you need are 3 dice and four of each of the following tiles, for a total of 136 tiles.

Bamboos In most sets 1-bamboo looks like a bird. Characters Character suit tiles If you haven’t learned Chinese numerals yet, make sure to play with a set that has Arabic numerals too! Dots Also known as circles, disks, spots… Dragons Green, Red, and White dragon tiles These are the Green, Red, and White dragon tiles. If your set has English letters, the green dragon is labeled F, red is C, and white is P or B. In Japanese sets , the White dragons are completely blank tiles. In American sets , the Green and Red dragons may be depicted with a dragon graphic. Winds East, South, West, and North wind tiles If your set has English letters, they are labeled E, S, W, and N, respectively. If your mahjong set comes with other tiles besides these (usually flowers , jokers , red tiles and/or blanks), then put those extra tiles away. These tiles are used for variations of the game. The Objective For every hand, your basic goal is to be the first player to get a hand composed of four sets and a pair. Each set can be either a pung , chow , or kong .

A pung is a set of three identical tiles. … A kong is a set of four identical tiles. … These are kongs Each set can either be concealed or melded / exposed . Concealed sets are made of tiles from your initial hand and tiles you draw from the wall . Melded sets are formed by claiming discard from other players and are explained later in the special moves section. Concealed sets are not shown to other players unless you win the hand. Melded sets are immediately shown when they are formed. As explained earlier, the goal is to get four sets and a pair. The first player to reach this goal wins the hand. Most of the time, the winning hand will have exactly 14 tiles. If the hand includes kongs, it will have more than 14 tiles. The following are all valid winning hands: Example 1 pair Building the Wall Get three friends and sit randomly around a table, facing towards the center. Ideally you want to play on a square table that's small enough that you can reach across easily. Each player will be assigned a wind.

A good analogy is to think of this as board game, but instead of being assigned a colored token you are assigned a direction for your seat. Randomly assign one player to have the East seat wind. The rest of the players assume seat winds as specified by the image below: the player to the right of east is South, the player across is West, and the player to the left is North. This assignment of winds DOES NOT match the cardinal directions on a compass. Playing order: East, South, West, North Dump out your tiles on the table. Turn all the tiles face-down and swirl them around with your hands to shuffle them. After the tiles are shuffled, each player makes a wall 17 tiles across and 2 tiles high. Each player's wall should look like this: One wall All players move their walls towards the center of the table, making a big square like this: Bringing all four walls together Breaking the Wall The East player starts by rolling three dice and adding up the sum of the rolls. East uses this number to determine whose wall to break and where to break it. Counting themselves as number one, East counts off players counter-clockwise around the table until they reaches the sum. This determines whose wall they will break.

For example, if East rolled 12, then they would break North's wall. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 E S W N E S W N E S W N Next, starting from the right side of the indicated player's wall, East counts off stacks clockwise until they reaches the sum. they then takes the next two stacks (four tiles) after the last stack they counted. South takes the next two stacks, West takes the next two, then North takes the next two. All players continue to take stacks in turn until each player has six stacks (12 tiles). Note: players take turns going counter-clockwise, but tiles are drawn from the wall going clockwise. This applies when dealing tiles and during gameplay. Lastly, the players take their final tiles as shown below. East takes his two tiles, then South takes one, West takes one, and North takes one. After this step, east should have 14 tiles, and the rest of the players should have 13.

The last five dealt tiles Here is what the tile distribution would look like if East rolled a sum of 12: Breaking North's wall at the twelfth tile from his right. Gameplay East starts the game by discarding one tile from his hand and placing it face-up in the area in the middle of the walls, which is called the river. If nobody claims East's discard, then play resumes with the player to his right, South. Remember, players take turns going counter-clockwise. For most turns, you will simply draw a tile and then discard a tile. Many of the moves below require you to "use the most recently discarded tile." That refers discards from other players, not your own discards. For example, you can't discard a tile and then immediately claim it for a melded pung. If you claim a discard to make a melded set, that melded set cannot be integrated back into the concealed part of your hand. The melded set remains visible until the end of the hand.

Normal Turn At the beginning of your turn, you can Claim the most recent discarded tile to make a melded pung, melded chow, or big melded kong, OR if you can’t or choose not to, you can Draw a tile from the wall. If you claim the discard, follow the corresponding procedure in the Special Moves section. If you simply want to draw a tile, you must: Draw a tile from the wall. Remember, take tiles from the wall going clockwise. If the next stack in the wall is two tiles high, take the top tile. Otherwise, take the bottom tile. Optional: Declare a concealed kong or a small melded kong. (These are explained in the special moves section.) If you declare one of these kongs, DO NOT go on to step 3. Instead, follow the procedure listed under Concealed Kong or Small Melded Kong. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right. Special Moves Melded Pung If you want to use the most recently discarded tile in a pung, you must already have two concealed tiles in your hand that match the discard. You must: Declare “pung”. Take the discard.

(Do not place the discard in your hand). Lay down the three tiles of the pung face-up as a set in front of your hand. This set is called a melded pung. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right. Note: some players might get their turns skipped. + Two concealed identical tiles + discarded matching tile = melded pung Melded Chow If you want to use the most recently discarded tile in a chow, you must already have two concealed tiles in your hand that would make a chow with the discarded tile, and the discard must come from the player to your left. You must: Declare “chow”. Take the discard. (Do not place the discard in your hand). Lay down the three tiles of the chow face-up as a set in front of your hand. This set is called a melded chow. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right.

Example 1 Concealed 4- and 6-bamboo + discarded 5-bamboo = melded chow Big Melded Kong If you want to use the most recently discarded tile in a kong, you must already have a concealed pung in your hand that matches the discard. You must: Declare “kong”. Take the discard. (Do not place the discard in your hand). Lay down the four tiles of the kong face-up as a set in front of your hand. This set is called a big melded kong. Draw a replacement tile from the back end of the wall. (Replacement tiles are explained later.) Optional: Declare a concealed kong or a small melded kong. If you declare one of these kongs, do not go on to step 6. Instead, follow the rules concerning the concealed kong or small melded kong. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right. Note: some players might get their turns skipped.

+ concealed pung + matching discard = big melded kong Small Melded Kong If you draw a tile that matches a melded pung you already have, you may promote the pung to a kong. Note that you DO NOT have to promote the pung. If you do want to promote the pung, you DO NOT need to do it on the same turn you drew the matching tile. You can declare a small melded kong on any of your turns, but only immediately after you draw a tile from the wall or a replacement tile. You must: Declare “kong”. melded pung + drawn matching tile = small melded kong Concealed Kong If you draw a tile that matches a concealed pung you have in your hand, you may declare a concealed kong. Note that you DO NOT have to use the tiles as a kong. If you do want to use the tiles as kong, you DO NOT need to do it on the same turn you drew the matching tile. You can declare a concealed kong on any of your turns, but only immediately after you draw a tile from the wall or a replacement tile.

You must: Declare “kong” Lay down the four tiles of the kong face-down as a set in front of your hand. This set is called a concealed kong. Draw a replacement tile. Optional: Declare a concealed kong or a small melded kong. If you declare one of these kongs, do not go on to step 5. Instead, follow the rules concerning the concealed kong or small melded kong. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right. Note: if you wish to use a concealed kong as one of your sets but you do not declare it, then you will not have enough tiles to complete the four sets and the pair you need to win. + Royal Australian Navy Gun Plot Mah Jongg Pussers Bones The Chinese Game of Four Winds HISTORY AND ORIGINS Whether its called Ma Jong, Mah Jong, Mah Jongg, Ma Diao, Ma Cheuk, Mah Cheuck, Baak Ling, or Pung Chow the history of this game is as intriguing as the game itself. Throughout history many theories have been presented regarding the origin of the game.

One suggests that it had been played on Noah's Ark during the 40 days and nights of rain. East had been the prevailing wind during the storm thus becoming the dominant seat in playing the game. This theory would suggest that the game would date back to around 2350 BC. Another very interesting story suggests that Confucius the great Chinese philosopher had developed the game about 500 BC. The appearance of the game in various Chinese provinces coincides with Confucius' travels at the time he was teaching his new doctrines. The three "Cardinal" tiles also coincide with the three Cardinal virtues taught by Confucius. Chung (middle) the Red, Fa (prosperity) the Green, Po (white) the white, Benevolence, Sincerity, and Filial Piety. Confucius was said to be fond of birds, which would explain the name Mah Jong (Hemp Bird). Terms used in the play of the game "Pung," "Chee," and "Kong" also add support to this theory.

Confucius was of the Kong family his full name being Kong-Fu-Tze, he married a girl named Che and adopted the term "Chee" meaning 'to connect' which occidentals corrupted into "Chow". Although these as well as various other stories lend themselves to a very interesting background to the game, the most logical theory suggests that the game had been developed from various Chinese games. During the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 AD) a game called "Ya Pei" which is played with 32 cards made of either wood or ivory, and are oblong in shape similar to the present day Ma Jong tiles. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) a game called "Ma Tiae" (Hanging Horse) was invented. This game was played with 40 paper cards similar in appearance to the cards used in the game Ya Pei. These forty cards were numbered 1 to 9 in four different suits along with four additional flower cards are quite similar to the numbering of mah jong cards today. It is thought that roughly around 1850 AD in the city of Ningpo two brothers had created mah jong from the earlier game of ma tiae.

Above: Antique Ma Tiae Cards The introduction to the western world is thought to have begun with two brothers named White, which in the early 1900's introduced mah jong to the English clubs of Shanghai, where it quickly gained popularity among the foreign residents. Importation of mah jong tiles began with Joseph P. Babcock, who at that time was the Soochow representative of the Standard Oil Company. He simplified the game eliminating most of the limit hand scoring, and retained only the essential basic scores. Mr. Babcock is also credited with starting the practice of putting English numerals on the tiles, and in September of 1920 he copyrighted and put his rules into print for the first time. It wasn't however until two years later a lumber merchant from San Francisco named W. A. Hammond formed the Mah Jongg Sales Company of San Francisco and began importing large quantities of sets. 1923 marked the height of the mah jong craze in the United States, mah jong sets numbered 6th in exports from Shanghai totaling in excess of $1.5 million. During this period cow bone was actually shipped from Kansas City and Chicago to Shanghai to meet the demand for production of new sets.

Companies formed across the United States to meet the demand of the growing craze. New sets where manufactured in every imaginable style, from the traditional bone and bamboo housed in a rosewood cases, box wood tiles with painted paper faces housed in cardboard boxes, to paper playing cards. A number of American companies also began production of mah jong sets, Parker Brothers, United States Playing Card, and Milton Bradley to name a few. It's said that mah jong rescued the ailing Milton Bradley Company from the brink of bankruptcy and had its factories working 24 hours a day to help meet the demand for new sets. Importers and retailers provided in-store demonstrations and lessons to help prospective players gain interest. Unrelated companies such as banks, and even funeral homes used mah jong to advertise their services by providing complimentary scoring cards, tablets and rulebooks. Before long mah jong was being played across the country, games where demonstrated in retailer's shops, street corners, and clubs. Mah Jong became the new national past time being played everywhere by everyone, and served as a great diversion during the hard times of the great depression. By the end of 1923 just about everyone playing the game had adopted their own unique set of rules.

Country clubs, banks, hotels, steamship lines, and specialized mah jong clubs all published their own sets of rules for play at their clubs. A number of books where published attempting to standardize the rules, and in 1924 the Standardization Committee of the American Official Laws of Mah-Jongg was formed to write a standardized set of rules. The committee consisted of M.C. Work, Robert Foster, Joseph Babcock, Lee Hartman, and J.H. Smith. All of these gentlemen had previously written their own book of rules, and the American Official Laws of Mah-Jongg were published in 1924. Through the next fifteen or twenty years mah jong under went various changes to the basic game as described in Mr. Babcock's Red book of Rules. Mah Jong instructors sprang up as quickly as clubs during this period each incorporating a little different strategy and rules to coincide with their strategy despite the existence of the standardize set of rules. Some groups added additional flower and joker tiles to the sets, and adopted standard hands for scoring and winning while others just added colorful limit hands to the basic set of rules.

Although the popularity of mah jong slowly faded from the mainstream, the game has maintained a steady and devout following that continues today. Two organizations that incorporated adaptations of the traditional rules have also maintained a strong following, The National Mah Jongg League, and The Wright-Patterson Officers Club. The National Mah Jongg League originated in New York City in 1937 when a group of interested players met, standardized their rules and scoring, and formed the league. The league publishes instruction books, annual newsletters, and revises their standard hand cards yearly. They also organize annual tournaments, and specialty cruses and trips. The Wives Club of the Wright-Patterson Officers Club also created their own version of the traditional rules. The Wright-Patterson rules follow the traditional rules closer than the National Mah Jongg League's, and do not incorporate any additional joker or flower tiles like the National Mah Jongg League does. They do however incorporate a "Charleston" (a kind of passing of unwanted tiles between players prior to the actual game play), and a set of standardized limit hands. They first copyrighted their set of rules in 1963, and have updated them regularly.

Throughout the years since Joseph Babcock first thought of importing this intriguing and addictive game, mah jong has become an intricate part of the American history. The sound of the tiles clicking together will stir many memories of the weekly mah jong games, more than just games, a time that family and friends gathered sharing their lives centered on the game. Now, nearly 80 years after the game's introduction to the western world a whole new generation is discovering "the game of a hundred intelligence's". Through the popular computer solitaire games that utilize mah jong tiles that began appearing in the early 1980's, and now through the subsequent introduction of versions incorporating the traditional four-player game, a resurgence of the game is beginning in the United States. Player's of the computer versions are becoming intrigued with the beauty and detail of the hand crafted sets of the 1920's and 1930's and are searching antique shops and flea markets for sets of their own. Many new players' are being introduced to the game solely through the solitaire versions and are slowly realizing the intrigue and challenge that the traditional game offers.

THE GAMES The well known, worldwide Domino Game was invented during the Bei Song Dynasty (1120 A.D.) it is well known and is still played widely around the world today. The Game of Ma Diao very popular during the Qing Dynasty (1644 1911 A.D.). The game of Ma Diao on the other hand, was also known as the Paper Tiger game, involving 40 cards. There are four suits, known as Wen Suit (pennies, same as the circle or ball suit in Mahjong), Suo Zi Suit (hundred dollars, same as the bamboo or stick suit in Mahjong), Wan Suit (ten thousand dollars, same as the character suit in Mahjong), and the Shi Suit (hundred thousand dollars). The names Suo Zi and Wan Zi are still used nowadays for the Bamboo (or stick) Suit and Character Suit in Mahjong. The Wen Suit 11 cards in this suit with One Wen to Nine Wens. In addition, there are half a Wen (known as Flower) and No Wen (known as Blank).

The Suo Zi Suit Glossary - Mahjong Solitaire Glossary Sets Glossary In this section you can find some of the most common terms used in the game of Mahjong. Bamboos – One of the three suits, sometimes bams or sticks. Bonus Tiles – Flower or Season tile. Characters – One of the three suits, sometimes called cracks. Chicken Hand – A hand without points. China Jade – A hand composed entirely of green tiles. Chow – Three tiles of the same suit in sequence or knitted. Circles – One of the three suits, sometimes called coins or dots. Concealed – A tile or tiles drawn from the wall and not exposed. Discard – A rejected tile which may be claimed by another player. Dispersed Kong – A hand with four identical suit tiles other than in a kong. Exposed – A face-up tile, part of a set or a discard. Family Hand – A hand composed or the three suits, dragons and winds. Flower Tile – Bonus Tile. Going Mahjong – Declaring a hand worth eight points or more. Going Out – Going Mahjong. Head – The pair of tiles necessary in most hand to go out. Honours – Dragon and wind tiles.

Knitted Tiles – Tiles 1-4-7, 2-5-8 and 3-6-9 in different suits. Kong – Set of four identical tiles. Major Tiles – Honours and terminals. Matchin Chows – Two matching chows in different suits. Meld – A set. Nine Gates – A single suit hand in which any tile of the same suit completes the hand. Progressive Chows – Chows stepped up one or two digits. Progressive Pungs – Pungs stepped up one digit. Pung – Set of three identical tiles. Reversible Tiles – Tiles that have the same appearance when inverted. Self-drawn – A tile drawn from the wall. Sequence – Set of suit tiles in numerical order. Set – Chow, pung or kong. Simples – Suit tiles other than terminals. Stepped – Chows separated by one or two numbers. Terminals – Tiles one and nine of the three suits. Thirteen Orphans – A hand composed of one each of every major tile, one tile paired. Twin Chows – Two identical chows in the same suit. Void Suit – A hand lacking tiles of one suit. Wall – Tiles assembled face down at the start of the game.

Wind, Own – Wind corresponding to the player’s seat. Wind, Prevailing – The wind of the round. Wind, Seat – Wind corresponding to the player’s seat.

Question: In which game would you use the terms 'pung', 'kong' and 'chow'?
Answer: MAH JONGG